Grave digger and excavator



W 1940. E. D. TYLER ETAL 7,98

GRAVE DIGGER AND EXCAVATOR Filed June 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .97 IQI April 23, 1940. E. D. TYLER HAL 2,197,989

GRAVE DIGGER AND EXCAVATOR I Filed June 5,1959 1 SSheefcs-Sheet 2 In venior 5 M2 1940- E. D. TYLER El AL 2,197,989

GRAVE QIGGER AND EXCAVATOR Filed June 5,1939 I s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Apia 23, 1940 UNITED 1 STATES GRAVE DIGGER AND EXCAVATOB Edith Dean Tyler and George A. Knox;

' Water-town, N. Y.

Application June 5, 1939, Serial No. 277319 3 Claims. (Cl. 255-21) Our invention relates generallyto ground excavating apparatus and particularly to a grave digging device, and an important object of our invention is to provide a device of this character which eliminates manual labor in the digging ofgraves, thereby making it feasible to dig graves in any weather, at a minimum of cost, and with greater efllciency, and obtain neater and more unifornrresults than are usually obtained by m manual labor.

Other important objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration we have shown a preferred embodiment of our invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 ma general front or rear elevational view of the embodiment showing the same mounted in connection with a tractor.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 3-3 and looking toward the right I in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken through the upper part of the auger per se above the chute. v p

' Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the cutters.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates a fragmentary portion of a tractor, preferably of the caterpillar type which involves the caterpillar or similar tractor element 3 one of the rotors of which has the outboardly extending axle or shaft 1 which in accordance with the present invention is provided with a pinion 8 which is in mesh with another pinion 9 which'iis mounted on a stub shaft l0 secured in journal brackets ii, 52 to one side of a rigid bracket l3, this bracket involving a pivot it on which is pivoted the car it on the inboard, end

of the heavy channel arm which is generally designated it. A rotary shaft i1 is carried by bear- 5 lugs 18, it at the inboard and outboard ends of the inner side of the web of the channel bar it,

the depressed end of the shaft having a universal connection 20 with the projecting end of the shaft Hi whereby the shaft i1 is driven by the turning of the rotor of the tractor element.

. A bracket'2l has a portion 22 angulated with respect to the horizontal and bolted as indicated by the numeral 23 to the lower flange of the channel. bar It and this bracket has arms a; 24-2! which are in a substantially horizontal plane and which closelyspacedly surround, a groove providing horizontal annulus 26 on the upper end of the generally cylindrical" auger housing 21, pins 28 and 29 projecting from the respective arms 24 and "at substantially diametrically opposed points, to engage in the groove 5 30 of the'member 26. The extremities of the arms have ears 3| which are traversed bya clamping bolt 32 whereby the bracket 2| is closed around the auger housing. 10

Another bracket 33 is bolted as indicated by the w numeral 34 to the lower side of the lower flange of the channel bar 16 above the bracket 21 and this has a horizontal journal part 35 in which turns a stub shaft 38 on the upper end of which I" and bearing down on the top of the bracket 35 is a gear 31 which isin mesh with the pinion 38 on the upper end of the shaft i1. The lower end of the stub shaft 38 below'the bracket 35 has a universal connection 39 with the upper end of the auger shaft 40. the auger shaft having formed thereon or having attachedthereto a spiral H which is slightly'smaller in diameter than the interior diameter of the housing 21 and extends down below the uniform diameter part ofthe housing and to a point below the flaring lower end portion 42 thereof which-isv'squared to provide for right angularly related walls of double triangle formation to which the respective cutters each typified by the cutter 43 shown in Figure 5 are mounted by means of bolts 44. The upper part of the outboard wall of the uniform diameter portion of the housing 21 is formed with as indicated by the numeral 48, and the. outer sides of the pointed part of these teeth are beveled as indicated bythe numeral 43, so'that the teeth have a tendency by reason of this formation thereof and by reason of the angulated arrangew ment thereof to bite into the earth as the auger pulls down in its action of cutting and lifting the earth, so that the corners of the grave pits are square cut automatically by operation of the device. 'It will be obvious that the size of the u mansions of the auger and of the cutters It may be altered .without invention to make the same adequate for digging graves of different sizes.

The lower terminal!!! of the auger is beveled as indicated by the numeral 5| and in a diametrically opposite position is a similarly beveled finger finger 52, this arrangement being provided so that the auger bites uniformly into the ground, with the terminals 50 and 53 on a level with or below the lower end of the lowermost points of the cutters 43. It will be observed that the arrangement of the pins 28 and 28 on the arms 24 and 25 in conjunction with the slot 30, and this in conjunction with the universal joint 39,

and this further in conjunction with the univer sal joint 20 and the pivot ll provides for a continually erect position of the auger in its perpendicular movement into the ground as the'device is operated. v

Although we have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be definitely understood that we do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or, changes may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: l V 1. In combination, a relatively stationary support having a rotary element, a beam inclined away from said support and carrying a longitudinal shaft, means, pivoting the depressed end of said beam on said support adjacent said rotary element, first universal means operatively connecting the depressed end of said rotary element and said longitudinal shaft, a housing pivotally depending from the elevated end of said beam, a vertical augur mounting in said housing, second universal means operativeiy connecting the upper end of the augur with the elevated end ofsaid longitudinal shaft.

2. In combination, a relatively stationarysupport having a rotary element, a beam inclined away from said support and carrying a longitudinal shaft, means pivoting the depressed end of said beam on'said support adjacent said rotary element, first universal means operatively connecting the depressed end of said rotary element and said longitudinal shaft, a housing pivotally depending from the elevated end of said beam,

a vertical augur mounting in said housing, second universal means operatively connecting the upper end of the .augur with the elevated end of said longitudinal shaft,'said housing having excavation dimension defining-cutters on its lower end arranged to enter the ground with the augur for making the excavation and conveying the earth upwardly through said housing, and'mea'ns on said housing for discharging the earth excavated. 1

3. In combination, a relatively stationary support having a rotary element, a beam inclined away from said support and carrying a longitudinal shaft, means pivoting the-depressed end of said beam on said support adjacent said rotary element, first universal means operatively connecting the depressed end of said rotaryelement and said longitudinal shaft, 9. housing pivotal iy depending from the elevated end of said beam, a

vertical augur mounting in saidhousing', second universal means operatively connecting the upper end of the augur with-the elevated end of said longitudinal shaft, said housing having excavation dimension defining cutters on its lower end arranged to enter the ground with the augur for making the excavation and conveying the earth upwardly through said housing, and means on said housing for discharging the earth excavated, said cutters each comprising inwardly beveled teeth, some of said teeth :having their lower end elevated in position with respect to the the teeth.

EDITH DEAN TYLER. GEORGE A. KNOX.

lower end of others of 

